v17_2006g - 110 Virginie Ladisch 6 TOWARD THE REUNIFICATION...

Virginie Ladisch6TOWARDTHEREUNIFICATIONOFCYPRUS:DEFININGANDINTEGRATINGRECONCILIATIONINTOTHEPEACEPROCESSVirginie LadischIn the search for a solution to the “Cyprus problem,” the focus of debate has been on power sharing agreements, land exchanges, right of return, and economics. There has been little focus on reconciliation. This research, conducted one year after the ref-erendum in which Cypriots were given an historic opportunity to vote on the reunification of the island, places the concept of reconciliation at the center of the debate about the Cyprus problem. Based on data gathered through forty interviews with Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot politicians, businessmen, activists, academics, organizational leaders, economists, and members of civil society, this article presents Cypriots’ views on reconciliation. Drawing from literature on reconciliation in conflict-divided societies as a framework, this article also analyzes the various perceptions Cypriots hold about reconciliation. Finally, this article identifies initiatives that could be used to promote reconciliation in Cyprus. The process needs to begin immediately so that it can lay the groundwork for the open dialogue, trust building, and understanding that are essential to the successful settlement of the Cyprus problem.1Virginie Ladisch is a Master in International Affairs candidate at the School of Inter-national and Public Affairs, Columbia University ([email protected]).

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111Toward the Reunification of Cyprus: Defining and Integrating Reconciliation into the Peace ProcessINTRODUCTIONIn the search for a solution to the “Cyprus problem,” the focus of debates and discussions has been on power sharing agreements, land exchanges, right of return, and economics, but there has been little to no focus on reconciliation. One year after the referendum in which Cypriots were given an historic opportunity to vote on the reunification of the island, this research places the concept of reconciliation at the center of the debate about the Cyprus problem. Based on data gathered through forty inter-views with Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot politicians, businessmen, activists, academics, organizational leaders, economists, and members of civil society, this article will present Cypriots’ views on reconciliation. Drawing from literature on reconciliation in conflict divided societies as a framework, this article will analyze the various perceptions Cypriots hold about the definition of reconciliation, the initiatives that can be used to promote reconciliation in Cyprus, the obstacles on the path toward reconciliation, and the sequencing of reconciliatory measures. Overall, this article seeks to present an alternative to strict political engineering projects that characterize the current debate about the Cyprus problem by encouraging creative approaches to conflict resolution such as truth commissions, revised history curriculums, and joint projects that foster mutual understanding and shared commitment to peace.

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